Captain Rohit Sharma was nowhere to be seen at the WACA on Thursday during India's second warm-up match against Western Australia. Rohit's absence was all the more surprising given that the India captain's name appeared on the Playing XI.
Instead, it was KL Rahul, who was named the official captain for the tie as India lost to WA by 36 runs. Chasing 169 to win, India finished on 133/7 in 20 overs with the batters putting in an average show. Despite the Indian batting crumbling against, Rohit did now show up, which left the fans irate.
.
What was more shocking was that Virat Kohli, who was rested and did not make the playing XI along with Suryakumar Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, played for India. Every move Kohli made received applause from the fans, whether he was fielding at cover, point gully, or towards the boundary. While supporters were overjoyed to see Kohli relishing in the Perth sun, they were upset by Rohit's absence.
Many Indian cricket fans were perplexed by the decision to pick Rahul as captain for the warm-up game instead of Rohit. Some quipped that Hitman was "sacked" as captain.
Here are some of the reactions:
Meanwhile, India endured a tough 36-run defeat against Western Australia in the second practice match in Perth on Thursday. Batting first the hosts piled 168/8 in 20 overs, while India could only manage 132/8 in response.
KL Rahul scored 74 off 55 balls, barring him none of the batters failed to withstand the Western Australia attack.
READ| 'The truth is, India go into a shell in World Cups': Nasser Hussain ahead of T20 World Cup
